A magistrate who slapped a relative on the upper arm has been issued with a formal warning for serious misconduct after he received a police caution for common assault.
Russell Blake received the police caution in 2024 over the incident involving 'a teenage member of his family', the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office said. A spokesperson added: ‘Magistrates are expected to comply with the law at all times, and to avoid conduct which could harm public confidence in them as individuals or the magistracy in general.’
Blake accepted full responsibility for his actions at the earliest opportunity.
The JCIO said that Blake, who had a ‘lengthy and previously unblemished record of service’, accepted there could be no excuse for his actions but explained he had ‘lashed out in response to the person shouting and screaming at him and spitting at him during a disagreement’.
It added: ‘He expressed considerable regret and remorse for his actions, which took place at a difficult time for him and his family.’
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An investigation found Blake’s actions amounted serious misconduct and recommended he receive a reprimand, the most serious sanction short of removal from office.
Mr Justice Keehan, on behalf of the lady chief justice, and with the lord chancellor’s agreement issued Blake with a formal warning for serious misconduct after ‘carefully considering all the evidence’.
The JCIO said ‘in coming to this decision, they considered several mitigating factors’ including the ‘circumstances in which the act took place’; that it was an ‘instantaneous response to behaviour by the person in question which included spitting’ at Blake; the ‘challenging’ circumstances Blake was experiencing at the time; that he had acted out of character; and his ‘immediate and full acceptance of responsibility’ and that he ‘deeply regretted what he had done’.
